Happy Leap Day!!
Australians, might I note, are particularly blase about Leap Day. No one wanted to celebrate with me. Well, we did nearly have a game of leap frog, but it's been pretty wet here today so it didn't actually materialize. Can you believe it? It happens only once every four years and I was the only one in the whole country who cared! Give or take a few ...
Actually, I think in general Americans are a bit more into the minor holidays (Pi Day springs to mind) than Australians are -- well, we're a good bit more into the major ones, too (Hallo-ahem-ween). Americans are generally just a smidge more festival, particularly when it comes to decorating and traditions and such.
There is, for the record, the same ability of a girl to propose here ... though I haven't heard of any such festivities yet this year ...
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
quicko: of cars and such
I think Australians are slower drivers than Americans -- not out of some innate preference (quite the contrary), but more because they're just so ridiculously heavily patrolled by speed cameras. There's just not so much you can do about speed cameras.
With Americans, it's a gamble. Sure, the cops can catch you and that's no fun, but what is fun is driving fast and hoping that they don't. Thus, as a rule of thumb, the general public drives about 5 over and feels perfectly fine about it. If a cop pulls you over doing 6 over you'd be pretty shocked. 20, sure, 6, no way.
I've heard the idea circulated among American cops is "9 you're fine, 10 you're mine," so I have no qualms doing 9 ... ish ... over. Which means occasionally you hit 15 over, but you feel really guilty if it's 20.
Australians, on the other hand, adhere to the 5 over rule in New South Wales, but it apparently varies state by state. Beneath that.
Evidently in Canberra the going rate is 10 ... under.
And, in case you haven't noted this yet, Americans are driving in mph, while Australians are in kph -- which means that me going 10 over in America is actually a decent bit more than 10 over in Australia. Such a rebel, aren't I?
Anyway, I was duly proud of myself tonight when we were driving along and the car ahead of us started to lollygag.
"What the heck is he doing?" asked my friend.
"He doesn't know where he's going, he's from Victoria," I answered immediately, noting the license plate.
With that I was deemed truly Australia. Seems you've arrived when you work out the stereotypes and apply them correctly.
Which brings me (segue!? It totally works if you think like me ...) to our future trivia team names -- vote for your favorite, and goodnight.
1. Tasmanian Pirates Do It Better
2. Tasmania: Separated by Water, Joined by "Friendship"
3. Tasmania: Blood IS Thicker Than Water
4. Tasmania: Say Cheese!
With Americans, it's a gamble. Sure, the cops can catch you and that's no fun, but what is fun is driving fast and hoping that they don't. Thus, as a rule of thumb, the general public drives about 5 over and feels perfectly fine about it. If a cop pulls you over doing 6 over you'd be pretty shocked. 20, sure, 6, no way.
I've heard the idea circulated among American cops is "9 you're fine, 10 you're mine," so I have no qualms doing 9 ... ish ... over. Which means occasionally you hit 15 over, but you feel really guilty if it's 20.
Australians, on the other hand, adhere to the 5 over rule in New South Wales, but it apparently varies state by state. Beneath that.
Evidently in Canberra the going rate is 10 ... under.
And, in case you haven't noted this yet, Americans are driving in mph, while Australians are in kph -- which means that me going 10 over in America is actually a decent bit more than 10 over in Australia. Such a rebel, aren't I?
Anyway, I was duly proud of myself tonight when we were driving along and the car ahead of us started to lollygag.
"What the heck is he doing?" asked my friend.
"He doesn't know where he's going, he's from Victoria," I answered immediately, noting the license plate.
With that I was deemed truly Australia. Seems you've arrived when you work out the stereotypes and apply them correctly.
Which brings me (segue!? It totally works if you think like me ...) to our future trivia team names -- vote for your favorite, and goodnight.
1. Tasmanian Pirates Do It Better
2. Tasmania: Separated by Water, Joined by "Friendship"
3. Tasmania: Blood IS Thicker Than Water
4. Tasmania: Say Cheese!
Monday, February 27, 2012
quicko: i spy
I was so proud of myself when I discovered that the spot on this cow (Devondale Milk -- a typical brand here) is actually in the shape of Australia! Even with Tasmania, how adorable!
Sunday, February 26, 2012
photo: surfboard!!
Introducing Sherlock -- my very own surfboard!! I found him in the trash (the trash!) last night and rescued him by bringing him home, setting him up with some fins and a leg strap and washing him up in the ocean! We've been for our first surf and while there was a slight lack of any actual standing on my part, we just had a blast together. Sherlock is, the friendly man at the store explained, probably made more for highly experienced surfers, but seeing as he came to me so very cheaply I'm not holding that against him. Isn't he gorgeous?!
Saturday, February 25, 2012
quicko: muppets and politics
I'd heard "muppets" used a bit here as a potentially softer term for "stark raving idiots," but had assumed it was most idiosyncratic. It seems to be popping up a bit more lately, though (generally in regard to the current political fiasco*), and I think it might actually be an Australianism ... maybe.
*Current political fiasco: in a very brief nutshell, Kevin Rudd had been elected Prime Minister in 2007 by the people, though, technically, they elected the Labor Party and not Kevin Rudd. Thus, a couple years ago when the Labor Party decided they wanted to change their top dog they one morning very coolly kicked Kevin out and put Julia Guillard in. This left most Australians pretty put out with Julia and feeling a bit sorry for Kevin, who got made Foreign Minister (not a bad gig, but still a demotion). Kevin hasn't had a great track record for kindness, tact and anger management, but just recently he was caught swearing up a storm about ... some important Asian dignitary he really shouldn't have been swearing about (or at?). Then, (possibly but not necessarily related to that) he resigned from his post as Foreign Minister while in Washington, D.C. (not Australia!!) and called an early morning press conference (in Australia) to steal Julia's mid-morning press conference thunder, I think. Anyway, there's speculation he's now about to oust her the way she ousted him. However, now everyone is so sick of the whole thing no one likes anyone in politics anymore (big change there, huh?) no one seems to care but just wants their politicians to grow up and stop acting like muppets.
*Current political fiasco: in a very brief nutshell, Kevin Rudd had been elected Prime Minister in 2007 by the people, though, technically, they elected the Labor Party and not Kevin Rudd. Thus, a couple years ago when the Labor Party decided they wanted to change their top dog they one morning very coolly kicked Kevin out and put Julia Guillard in. This left most Australians pretty put out with Julia and feeling a bit sorry for Kevin, who got made Foreign Minister (not a bad gig, but still a demotion). Kevin hasn't had a great track record for kindness, tact and anger management, but just recently he was caught swearing up a storm about ... some important Asian dignitary he really shouldn't have been swearing about (or at?). Then, (possibly but not necessarily related to that) he resigned from his post as Foreign Minister while in Washington, D.C. (not Australia!!) and called an early morning press conference (in Australia) to steal Julia's mid-morning press conference thunder, I think. Anyway, there's speculation he's now about to oust her the way she ousted him. However, now everyone is so sick of the whole thing no one likes anyone in politics anymore (big change there, huh?) no one seems to care but just wants their politicians to grow up and stop acting like muppets.
Friday, February 24, 2012
quicko: cash in hand!
Isn't Australian money pretty?! Now if only there were $100 to go with it ...
I always say $35 is my favorite amount of Australian dollars to have,
because they're so beautiful. But I really won't complain
if I have the $50 to (not quite) complete the set!
Thursday, February 23, 2012
photos: rachel's farewell
Rachel's farewell dinner at our local ... various friends, including the beautiful and exceptionally talented Sam of Matou en Peluche fame -- check out her work if you haven't!!
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